The Defense Witnesses in the Civil Trial

Source: MSNBC

The following people have testified on behalf of the defense:

MONDAY, Dec. 9

Detective Philip Vannatter, LAPD

During Vannatter's testimony, the audio tape of Simpson's
interview with police the day after the murders was played publicly
for the first time. Vannatter was heard telling Simpson, "O.J.,
we've got sort of a problem. We've got some blood on and in your
car, we've got some blood at your house and it's sort of a problem."
Simpson replied, "Well, take my blood test."

Vannatter also emphatically denied defense attorney Baker's allegation
that he lied to the magistrate in order to get a search warrant.
Vannatter said that he noted on the request for the search warrant
that Simpson was on an "unexpected" trip because that
was the impression he got from Simpson's daughter Arnelle. At
one point, the defense's strategy took a turn for the worse. Baker
asked why Vannatter publicly denounced his client. "I believe
your client is guilty of murder," Vannatter responded.

TUESDAY, Dec. 10

Detective Thomas Lange, LAPD

Defense attorney Robert Baker focused on how Lange supervised
the crime scenes. Baker implied that Lange was more concerned
about going to Simpson's Rockingham estate to build a "rapport"
with him than he was about the preservation, collection and documentation
of the evidence at the Bundy murder scene. Baker repeatedly reminded
Lange that as an "officer of 20 years," Lange should
have known better than to leave the crime scene. Lange testified
that while the evidence at Bundy had not been processed, he was
under the impression that a criminalist had been called before
he left the crime scene.

Gregory Matheson, LAPD criminalist

Questioning focused on blood test results. The defense was
trying to suggest that the fingernail scrapings from Nicole Simpson,
which resulted in a type other than hers, could have been from
an unknown contributor. The defense also criticized Matheson's
claim that he had made an estimate of the amount of Simpson's
blood in a vial. When he tested the amount he realized he had
underestimated the amount by almost 2 milliliters.

Thano Peratis, jail nurse

Peratis, a Los Angeles City Jail nurse, testified that he
drew Simpson's blood and transferred the blood from the syringe
to the vial and gave it to the detectives. He said he did not
seal the envelope. In grand jury testimony, he had said he had
drawn 7.9 to 8.1 cc of blood. He said he is now unsure of the
quantity that was drawn because the calibration marks on the syringe
were facing down as he drew the blood.

In cross-examination, Peratis said when he learned that blood
was possibly missing from Simpson's vial, he conducted an experiment
to recreate pulling blood to determine how much he drew. He conceded
that he didn't record the amount of blood that he drew from Simpson.

Andrea Mazzola, LAPD criminalist

Mazzola joined the Los Angeles Police Crime Lab/Toxicology
Department in January 1994. Direct examination focused on the
collection of evidence at the crime scene. The defense accused
Mazzola of carelessness in handling the evidence. Mazzola testified
she took swatches from blood stains at Simpson's Rockingham estate
and placed them in envelopes and put them in the crime lab truck.
She confirmed the defense's assertion that the samples were not
placed in the truck's refrigerator, implying the heat in the truck
could affect the evidence.

In cross-examination, Mazzola testified she was supervised while
collecting evidence, and she changed gloves more times than she
could count.

Detective Philip Vannatter, LAPD

Vannatter was in charge of investigating the murders along
with his partner, Detective Tom Lange. Under cross-examination
by plaintiffs' attorney John Kelly, Vannatter testified the reason
for calling the criminalist to the Rockingham scene was so he
could be there when the presumptive test for blood on the smear
on the Bronco door was conducted. The phenothaline test was positive
for human blood. Based on that result, he made the notation on
the warrant affidavit that human blood was found on the door.
That countered the defense claim yesterday that Vannatter lied
on the request to get a warrant to search Simpson's estate.

Under redirect, Baker returned to the blood vial, which Vannatter
transported in an unsealed envelope. He intimated that there was
no reason not to seal the envelope unless he wanted to take blood
from it. He stressed the nearly three-hour time span in which
the blood was in Vannatterust ab's possession. Baker kept injecting
into his questions the fact that Vannatter had 23 years of experience,
yet he did not follow the rules.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 11

Howard Bingham, photographer

Bingham, a photographer who knew Simpson from previous media
events, was on the flight from Los Angeles to Chicago and spoke
to Simpson. Bingham testified that he did not notice any cuts
or bandages on Simpson's hands.
Wayne Stanfield, pilot

Stanfield, the pilot of the American Airlines flight to Chicago,
said he got Simpson's autograph and described Simpson's demeanor
as "warm, congenial, calm, cool, collected."

Willie Ford, LAPD videographer

Ford is an LAPD videographer whose shots of O.J. Simpson's
bedroom do not show socks with blood drops on them. After taking
video of the kitchen, office area, living room, family room, bar
and game room, Ford said he went upstairs. Ford said he never
took video of the floor, but he answered "no" to repetitive
questions about whether he ever saw socks or blood.

In cross-examination, plaintiff's attorney Petrocelli implied
that Ford did not see the socks because criminalist Dennis Fung
had already been in the room to collect them as evidence.
Steven Valerie, passenger

Valerie, who was also on the same plane as Simpson from Los
Angeles to Chicago, testified Simpson's mood was "jovial"
and said he did not notice any cuts on his fingers. Valerie also
described what Simpson was wearing and what he did during the
flight.

On cross-examination, Valerie admitted that he didn't see Simpson
speak to the pilot, read a book or sleep. Simpson testified he
did all these things during the flight.

Susan Brockbank, criminalist

Brockbank is a criminalist in the trace analysis laboratory.
Defense attorneys questioned her about the collection and analysis
of hair and trace evidence, including Simpson's hair and fibers
found at the Bundy crime scene, the socks from his residence,
the gloves and the carpet of the Ford Bronco. The defense's underlying
implication was that the evidence collection and analysis were
sloppy. Defense attorneys also argued that further contamination
occurred when the evidence was transported in the same container.

Detective Thomas Lange, LAPD

Lange was in charge of investigating the murders along with
his partner, Detective Philip Vannatter. Defense questions focused
on the whereabouts of Fuhrman, who in the criminal trial was accused
of planting evidence to frame Simpson. Lange consistently answered
that his attention was focused not on Fuhrman, but on the victims.

During cross-examination, Lange made it clear that he never had
another suspect in the case. "There's just absolutely no
evidence of a second suspect," he said.

THURSDAY, Dec. 12

John Gerdes, M.D.

Gerdes is a DNA expert and the clinical director of Immunological
Associates of Denver (IAD), a reference lab supporting organ transplantation.
Gerdes watched the video of the crime scene with the jury and
pointed out many problems with evidence collection, including
Andrea Mazzola's failure to change her gloves after collecting
evidence. A large portion of his testimony addressed the LAPD's
testing methods, saying they shifted the results from a scientific
basis to a subjective basis.

In cross-examination, plaintiffs' attorneys asked Gerdes a serious
of questions pertaining to his experience with evidence-testing
which ended with, "So, you've never done forensic evidence
testing?" "Correct," Gerdes responded. At one point,
Gerdes testified that item samples collected from the Rockingham
estate were consistent with Simpson's type, however, he made it
a point to say that he didn't say that it was Simpson's blood
exactly.
Lt. Frank Spangler, LAPD

Spangler was the commander of the West Los Angeles detectives
at the crime sites. Spangler testified that Detective Mark Fuhrman
was out of his sight for almost a half hour. He also said Fuhrman
wore a jacket when he first saw him, yet later he didn't see Fuhrman
wearing the jacket. In cross-examination, Spangler said he observed
bloody footprints on the north pathway and blood on the gate.

Detective Kelly Mulldorfer, LAPD

Mulldorfer was with the police commission investigation enforcement
unit in July 1994. She was assigned to investigate a theft of
papers that allegedly occurred in the impounded Bronco. Defense
attorney asked, "Looking at the console, did you see blood
there?" Mulldorfer responded, "I don't remember if I
did or if I didn't," and followed that response with, "I
wasn't looking for that evidence, I was looking for receipts."

MONDAY, Dec. 16

Michael Baden, M.D.

Baden testified on the injuries sustained by O.J. Simpson.
Referring to the wounds on the ex-football star's hand, Baden
said "my opinion then and my opinion now was that it was
not caused by finger nails." Baden described the cut on Simpson's
hand as deep and irregular cut by a sharp irregular object, like
a jagged knife or a piece of glass. He went on to say, "I
haven't seen a fingernail mark produce a deep gouge." Baden
also described the injuries of Brown and Goldman, saying that
he can't determine how long it took for the attacker to inflict
them. He testified that the victims bled to death and that Goldman
might have been standing for five minutes after his jugular was
severed.

Herbert MacDonell, crime-scene analyst

MacDonell is a senior crime-scene analyst who interprets blood-stain
patterns. Under direct examination, he testified that he examined
the blood stains on the socks recovered from Simpson's Rockingham
bedroom. He said that there were visible stains on the socks.
He also said that he conducted an experiment using similar material
and he determined the blood did not drip or splash on the socks,
it was transferred either by touching or by a lateral motion (swiping).
MacDonell testified that the blood would have dried within five
or 10 minutes, implying the blood wouldns coll't have soaked through
after the socks were taken off.

MacDonell said he performed an experiment to attempt to determine
if the gloves would shrink if exposed to human blood. He concluded:
"I could not detect any measurable shrinkage on either glove
... and that's the bottom line." MacDonell was the first
of several defense science experts being called to throw scientific
weight behind the police frame-up theory and to sketch an alternate
scenario for the killings.

TUESDAY, Dec. 17

Gilbert Aguilar

Aguilar has been an LAPD forensic fingerprint specialist for
17 years. In testimony, Gilbert backed up his colleagues' claim
that none of the 17 prints lifted from the crime scene were O.J.
Simpson's. Aguilar testified that there were prints that were
identifiable but had not been identified.

In cross-examination, Aguilar was questioned as to whether a print
would appear if someone was wearing a glove. He said that unless
the glove had a hole in it, revealing the fingers, it would be
difficult to leave a print.

Thomas Talarino

Talarino allegedly saw a man who he says was not Simpson in
the bushes on Bundy while he was roller-skating on the night of
the murders.
Michael Gladden

Gladden is a professional courier who asked for Simpson's
autograph outside the airport on the night of the murders. He
said he observed Simpson and that there was really nothing out
of the ordinary. Gladden then asked Simpson for his autograph
and was told to wait until he got his luggage situated. Gladden
also described Simpson as wearing a long sleeve denim shirt and
blue denim pants and leather-looking boots.

William Blasini

Blasini is a car parts buyer who saw Simpson's impounded Bronco.
He said that he opened the unlocked passenger door, leaned in
and looked around. He said the reason that he looked in was because
he was curious - "it was a big story." He testified
that he looked at the seats, the console, the floor, dashboard
- all over the vehicle and yet saw no blood. Blasini said that
he looked for blood and fingerprint dust since he knew the car
was being investigated.

Michael Baden, M.D.

Baden, a forensic pathologist who also testified on the ex-football
star's behalf in his criminal trial, backed down on his previous
insistence that Goldman struggled with his killer for five to
10 minutes before finally succumbing to his wounds. The length
of the struggle is important because lawyers for the plaintiffs
contend the murders were committed outside Nicole Simpson's condominium
at about 10:35 to 10:40 p.m. O.J. Simpson was spotted in his driveway
by a limousine driver at about 10:55 p.m.

He also revealed, under cross-examination, that the fatal wounds
suffered by Nicole Simpson and Ronald Goldman were consistent
with one knife being used in both slayings.

WEDNESDAY, Dec. 18

Robert Groden

Groden was called by the defense as an expert witness to testify
about a photograph which appears to show Simpson wearing Bruno
Magli shoes at a Buffalo Bills football game. After Groden took
the stand, Judge Fujisaki requested that the jury be excused to
hold a hearing to determine the qualifications of Groden as an
expert witness. In his testimony, Groden said that the frame of
film in question, of Simpson, is slightly longer and somewhat
offset compared to others on the roll. He said the Simpson shot
is reddish, while the others are bluer. And he said from Simpson's
knees down, the picture has a different tonal quality than the
upper part. Groden said most pictures on the roll are overexposed
- but not the Simpson frame.

Daniel Gonzalez

Gonzalez was the junior officer sent to Nicole Simpson's condominium
after the murders. He also moved on to the Rockingham estate around
5:20 a.m. He testified that he saw blood inside Simpson's Ford
Bronco after it was pointed out to him by Detective Mark Fuhrman
- targeted by the defense as a lying racist who framed Simpson.
Defense attorney Robert Baker showed pictures of the Bronco on
a TV screen and questioned whether Gonzalez could have seen a
blood smear on the running board when the door to the vehicle
was locked. Gonzalez heatedly insisted he could.

Gonzalez was combative during most of the questioning by Baker
as the attorney compared two reports, one handwritten by Gonzalez
and one typed by Detective Ronald Phillips, who interviewed the
younger officer about what he saw that night. There were obvious
discrepancies in the two reports.

FRIDAY, Dec. 20

Fredric Rieders

Rieders is a forensic toxicologist who was called by the defense
to bolster its case that blood was planted and evidence was contaminated.
He testified he found the preservative EDTA, which prevents blood
from coagulating, in blood on socks police recovered from Simpson's
bedroom and on a stain on the back gate of his ex-wife's condominium.
Rieders said there were only two possible sources for the EDTA
- from a blood sample tube or through contamination of the blood
stains in the laboratory.

Robert Groden

Groden was called as an expert witness by the defense. He
testified on direct examination that a photograph which appeared
to show O.J. Simpson wearing Bruno Magli shoes at a Buffalo Bills
football game had been doctored. Groden was confronted by plaintiffs'
lawyers on cross-examination causing heated exchanges between
attorneys and frequent interventions by the judge. Groden's expertise
was challenged, as were his professional assessments of the photos
in question.

Groden acknowledged that a blue line on the picture could simply
be scratches from the camera's film guide. Similar lines appear
alongside other photos on the same roll, but Groden had said the
Simpson frame was the only one that showed the mark. He testified
the Simpson frame is longer than others - by about one one-hundredth
of an inch. The plaintiffs contend the measuring tool Groden used
can't detect differences that small.

MONDAY, Jan. 6

Paul Tippin

Tippin, a Los Angeles Police Department officer at the crime
scene, was questioned in direct examination mostly about his interview
with Kato Kaelin. On cross- examination, Tippin said he had no
idea how close Kaelin was to Nicole Brown Simpson. In re-direct,
it was established that Kaelin's statement included information
about where he had met Nicole Simpson and that he had never had
sex with her.

Rachel Ferrara (via criminal testimony)

Ferrara was Kaelin's girlfriend at the time of the murders.
Kaelin called Ferrara June 12 around 10:40 p.m. or 10:45 p.m.
During their phone conversation, Kaelin heard three thumps on
the wall and told Ferrara he thought he just felt an earthquake.

Otis Marlow

Marlow is a private investigator for Gailey and Associates.
He said that during the investigation into the murders of Nicole
Brown Simpson and Ron Goldman, he was assigned to work on the
clues that were coming in, such as phone calls and searching gutters
from the Bundy to Rockingham residences. Defense attorney Philip
Baker asked him if, while helping the criminalist, he was wearing
gloves or booties. Marlow responded, "No."

Richard Aston

Aston, an LAPD officer who was at both crime scenes, testified
that he arrived at the Rockingham estate at 5 a.m., after the
four other officers at the scene. He testified that he heard some
conversation among the officers concerning what might be going
on inside. He also testified that they all went in a "loose
group" to the Bronco where he saw two drops of blood on the
console. "I was naturally curious and there was something
to be seen, I assumed," he said. He stayed at the Rockingham
estate until about 8 a.m., when he took Kaelin to an LAPD office.
In cross-examination, Aston testified that "nobody entered
the vehicle" and "nobody touched the vehicle."
Rolf Rokahr (via deposition)

Rokahr was an LAPD crime-scene photographer assigned to record
the Bundy crime scene. His deposition included his recollection
of Detective Mark Fuhrman approaching him at Nicole Simpson's
Bundy condo saying, "Let me show you what we have back here."
The now infamous picture of Fuhrman pointing at the glove was
taken by Rokahr. He said he asked Fuhrman to point at the items.

Robert Groden

Groden was called by the defense as an expert witness, although
his credentials were challenged by the plaintiffs. Before the
holiday break, he testified that a photograph which appeared to
show O.J. Simpson wearing a pair of Bruno Magli shoes at a Buffalo
Bills football game had been altered. On Monday, he spent his
first 20 minutes on the stand reviewing the testimony he gave
before the holiday break. On cross examination, Groden testified
that ommand"there is a greater than 90 percent possibility
that either the pants and the shoes, or the pants alone were changed,"
in the allegedly doctored photo.

Plaintiffs' attorney Peter Gelblum then introduced new photos
taken by another photographer of Simpson apparently wearing Bruno
Magli shoes at the same football game. One by one, Gelblum asked
Groden if any of these photos changed his opinion. Groden said
that they did not change his opinion at all.

WEDNESDAY, Jan. 8

Mark Partridge

Partridge, a Chicago attorney, said he sat next to O.J. Simpson
on the flight to Los Angeles. He described him as distraught,
sitting back in his seat and sighing, at one point covering his
face with his hands. Partridge said a stewardess remarked to Simpson:
"Bad day, huh?" to which he replied, "you don't
know the half of it." Partridge said Simpson had a fresh
cut on his finger, made several phone calls, visited the restroom
several times and told Partridge that a "friend" had
been killed, later explaining it was his ex-wife. He said Simpson
also noted, "Some people were blaming him."

Jim Merrill

Merrill, a former Hertz executive, testified Simpson was cordial
and relaxed and signed autographs when he arrived in Chicago the
morning of June 13, 1994. Hours later, Merrill said, Simpson was
distraught, calling for a ride back to the airport. "He sounded
like he was very frantic. He, at one point, began to cry."
Raymond Kilduff

Kilduff, another Hertz executive, testified he drove Simpson
to the airport for his return flight and Simpson was "very
upset."

Dennis Fung

Fung is a criminalist for the Los Angeles Police Department.
He said the bodies of Ronald Goldman and Nicole Brown Simpson
were in the process of being moved when he arrived at the crime
scene. O.J. Simpson's lawyer injected new mystery into the case
by suggesting that one of the infamous leather gloves in evidence
may not be the one collected by police at the killing scene.

"I'm not sure this is the same glove," criminalist Dennis
Fung said, holding the left-handed glove and turning it over and
over. Fung wrinkled his brow and said he couldn't figure out why
the glove in his hand did not have a hole like the glove in a
picture taken by police when it was found on June 12, 1994, near
the bodies of Nicole Simpson and Ron Goldman.

Steve Merrin

Merrin is an LAPD sergeant who was on command-watch the night
of June 12, 1994. Merrin testified that he received a call from
a female, who said she worked for Channel 4, and asked if he knew
about a double homicide in west Los Angeles. Merrin said she asked
him specifically if police were "sitting" on two bodies
on the West Side. He said that to his knowledge there were no
other double homicides on the West Side. In cross examination,
Merrin testified that he followed up on the call as well even
though his command has nothing to do with Brentwood.

Brian "Kato" Kaelin

Kaelin was asked repeatedly if he was certain Simpson was
wearing a dark suit on the night of June 12, 1994. "I always
thought he was wearing a dark suit," Kaelin said, "A
sweatsuit." The dark sweatsuit, he added, had a light-colored
zipper that could have been white. Kaelin was asked about the
approximate time he heard thumps on the wall of his guestroom
while he was on the phone with a friend, Rachel Ferrara. Asked
if he remembered discussing the time with Ferrara around 10:30
p.m. and then hearing the thumps about 10 minutes later, he replied
"I don't remember."
There was no cross-examination.

THURSDAY, Jan. 9

Dr. Henry Lee (taped deposition)

Dr. Lee is the director of the Connecticut State Forensics
Science Laboratory. He testified he found a new trail of seven
blood drops leading away from the scene of the killing scene.
The trail wasn't visible in poor quality pictures given to him
for review in criminal trial. Lee make the same assertion as in
the criminal trial saying, "something's wrong" with
the physical evidence taken from the trail and from Nicole Brown
Simpson.

He testified that the blood patterns at the crime scene indicated
a "not very short struggle." Lee declined to give an
opinion on the killing time line. Later in his video testimony,
Lee complained bitterly about his treatment by the LAPD and said
they gave him a microscope that was a "piece of junk,"
and they limited his examination to 20 minutes.

FRIDAY, Jan. 10

O.J. Simpson

In his much anticipated testimony, Simpson said he never struck
Nicole Brown Simpson despite testimony of two witnesses. He testified
if he had hit Nicole Simpson, she would have been injured much
more seriously than she was. He also talked about his childhood
in the San Francisco projects, his school years as a successful
athlete, his Heisman Trophy in college and his professional career
with the Buffalo Bills. He said he tried to be conscientious and
obey all the rules of good sportsmanship and fair play and he
was kicked out of only one pro-football game for fighting.

He went on to tell the jury he had a good relationship with Nicole
Simpson and they were very much in love - the two separated because
"she had lived with me since she was 18 and she needed some
free time." As for her behavior, she became very erratic
after their separation and she was part of crowd he didn't like.
He then said she pursued him relentlessly but a reconciliation
led to recurring problems.
Dr. Henry Lee (taped deposition)

Dr. Lee said he never meant to suggest that police planted
evidence to frame O.J. Simpson; said when he said "there's
something wrong," he meant the quality of police lab procedures.

Gary Siglar (taped deposition)

Siglar is a supervising criminalist at the Los Angeles County
Coroner's Office. He said criminalists from coroner's office should
also have been called to crime scene and said lead Detective Philip
Vannatter personally picked up reference vials of blood taken
from victims. He also said it was unusual but not unprecedented
for a detective to do that.

MONDAY, Jan. 13

O.J. Simpson

Simpson reiterated that he did not kill his ex-wife and leave
her body where his children could find it. He continued to insist
he never owned a pair of Bruno Magli shoes, despite the introduction
of 30 photos that show him wearing Bruno Magli shoes. In regard
to a letter Nicole Simpson wrote but never sent, the defendant
said his ex-wife's accusation of his beating her was a pre-divorce
ploy to get him to tear up a prenuptial agreement. Another marital
topic was Simpson's fidelity. He said he was unfaithful from time
to time and had an affair with actress Tawny Kitaen while he was
married. He didn't consider cheating on his wife to be lying,
but he acknowledged it was "morally wrong." Simpson
said he told Nicole of his affairs when they split. There were,
he said, no bad feelings about his infidelity. Simpson testified
that his greatest concern was for his children. When he was notified
by police that his ex-wife had been killed, he asked if his kids
were exposed to anything. Simpson said he contemplated suicide
on June 17, 1994, and felt ashamed. He said his friend Al "A.C."
Cowlings and memories of his mother saved him.

TUESDAY, Jan. 14

Arnelle Simpson

Arnelle is O.J. Simpson's daughter from his first marriage.
She testified she was shocked, stunned, upset, confused and scared
at news of her stepmother's death. Her father repeatedly asked
her what was going on during telephone conversations from Chicago.
She contradicted detectives stories about how they got into Simpson's
house and what they told her before they talked to her father.

Donald Thompson

Thompson is the Los Angeles officer who handcuffed O.J. Simpson
at Simpson's Rockingham estate after he returned from Chicago
on June 13, 1994. Thompson testified he arrived at the Rockingham
estate at 8 a.m. and left around 3:45 p.m. Thompson said that
his assignment was to protect the Bronco and the property in general.
He testified the vehicle was never opened while he was there and
he saw no one enter the vehicle. Defense attorney Robert Baker
told Thompson that if he were watching the property in general,
he couldn't have had his eyes on the Bronco at all times.